VOCA Increase Allows VWSSP to Expand Services to Victims

Pennsylvania received an unprecedented increase in its Victim of Crime Act funding this year. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) has increased funding to victim service programs statewide. After years of
cuts or level funding, we could not be happier to be able to do more to serve the
South Philadelphia community.

We have had a lot of staffing changes and want to reintroduce ourselves to everyone! This June we said goodbye to Josh Vallejo as he moved to Hawaii. We appreciate
his work and know he's enjoying his new life!

V/WSSP was able to make his part time advocate position full time with the increased VOCA funds and Fernando Sterling started in August.  Benjamin Gamarra
just started working with us this week, as well as our existing staff: Yoan Calvo Machado, Tram Nguyen, Dajah Park, Alison Sprague & Phu Tien. The new VOCA funds will allow us to hire a Youth Advocate in July 2017 as well.
Oldies but goodies: (L-R) Yoan Calvo Machado, Josh Vallejo, Alison Sprague, Dajah Park, Tram Nguyen & Phu Tien
The New Guys!

Fernanado Sterling & Benjamin Gamarra at the Foundational Academy at Penn State



Additionally, we have partnered with Friends of Farmworkers and HIAS to form an Immigrant Victim Advocacy Collaborative (IVAC) to increase services to immigrant crime victims in Philadelphia.  Yoan will be moving into this position.

And to help us manage all of this, we have hired a part time administrative assistant to get us through this fiscal year. Ociele Hawkins is working with us a day or so a week and we're grateful for his assistance.
     Ociele Hawkins
We are excited about the all the changes, trying to get everyone trained and out into the community and looking forward to being able to do more for victims. 

 

Please spread the word to your friends and neighbors: we are here to help if you are a victim of crime. Contact us at 215-551-3360.  
Come out and meet us at our fundraiser 11/17!